


Fallout One Shots

by Assassin_Weakness



Category: Fallout 3, Fallout 4, Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Anxiety, Asexual Character, Asexual Relationship, Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Murder, Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-11
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2018-09-23 11:48:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9656258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Assassin_Weakness/pseuds/Assassin_Weakness
Summary: I have too much love for my OCs and I am weak. Also posted on quotev anonymously.Nova has a past with emotional abuse and it's mentioned quite often, so I'd recommend not reading any of her chapters if that would trigger you.There's a lot of ghoul love in my heart and you can bet it's gonna come out.





	1. [Nova and Hancock] [1]

**Author's Note:**

> This is the idea that sparked this disaster

   "Hey ya, Hancock." Nova's eyes immediately lifted from her Pip-Boy, not looking behind her, but rising in curiosity as her ears perked up, tuning in to the conversation. 

   Of course it wasn't  _illegal_  for his people to chat with him, he was their mayor after all, and Nova definitely wasn't the jealous type-protective on the other hand, she very much so was. The tone of voice had simply grabbed her attention and-she'd admit-she did find herself vastly more interested in a conversation after hearing his name.  

   "Been a long time. You back for another tour of the town?" 

    Nova raised a brow, naivety making her realization slow to the punch. 

    When it did hit her she leaned over in her seat, eyes down casting back to her Pip-Boy and the mind numbing game on the screen. She figured her and Hancock being an item was old news by this point. 

   She'd hauled him with her to all ends of the Commonwealth at this point and was always sure to put his involvement in their accomplishments first, completing the statement with a loving glance in his direction. Most of Goodneighbor had circulated the rumor they were together before it had even been true.  

   There was the chance, however, that her  _aversion_  had become obvious to the people of Goodneighbor. She was sure Kent hadn't shared her secret-positive-as the ghoul was too much of a sweetheart to even slip up in front of Hancock, but gossip sure did fly in the Commonwealth. She kept the secret from Hancock long enough to warrant a split over  _any_  secret, particularly one of her magnitude.  

   She spit it out like poison when she  _finally_  told him, cringing at both the time she'd spent lying and the secret itself. She was asexual and that definitely wasn't the type of person she expected Hancock to want, let alone the type of person who refused to take drugs or drink either. She was a goody-goody and she knew it.  

   The grand reveal hadn't brought about the questions or reactions she expected, though. Questions about Shaun-she explained that Nate wasn't asexual and she had no quarrel with compromising if he did the same-and an almost nonchalant "okay" and they were on their way.  

   She'd been comfortable with the reveal and it almost never came up-he asked if things were okay a lot, particularly when curling up for the night, which honestly melted her heart-but still, being reminded that she wasn't exactly his match made in heaven brought a sick feeling to the pit of her stomach.  

   "Sorry, I ain't a tourin' ghoul anymore." Her ears perked up again, this time she turned herself toward the conversation, catching a grin thrown in her direction. "The one I got ain't the type you go wandering on."  

   Returning the grin, Nova turned back to her Pip-Boy, grin remaining along with a blush. She loved him. She really did. 


	2. [Harper and Charon/Gob] [1]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I sorta abandoned my second playthrough of Fallout 3 after I got Fallout 4, but my ghoul sons are still very important to me. (Why couldn't we free Gob? Bethesda, stop ignoring my calls. While we're at it, why can't I kiss Kent Connolly or Nick Valentine, this is a crime.) I don't even know what sparked this but here it is...

    Harper grit her teeth, hands gripping the straps of her bag to the point of white knuckles and numbness. A _month_ and she comes back to have to deal with _this_. 

    She wasn't oblivious to the hatred widespread throughout the Capital Wasteland and beyond-she traveled with a ghoul, of course she knew the garbage they had to deal with, just because radiation happened to let them live. She was an avid defender of every ghoul she happened to come across, giving herself quite a name in the Underworld. 

    Her and Charon made an unstoppable team to be sure, though it had taken months to convince him to talk about anything more than enemies and trading supplies, but Harper wasn't one to back down when she set her mind to something-practically everyone in the Wasteland could attest to that. He didn't have a prayer. He was still quiet, preferring to keep the image of a bodyguard rather than that of the friend she saw in him, but it was a silent agreement; she didn't strike up conversations in public and he'd chat with her whenever they were alone. 

    Being an unstoppable team didn't stop the comments or the looks though. Even when traveling with _her_ , someone known across the Wasteland as both a formidable force and a selfless hero, he wasn't spared from the rude remarks and glares given to any other ghoul. Charon never seemed to care, more focused on watching Harper's back-from both obligation and his own protectiveness at this point-but Harper would have none of it. She'd broken many noses over the course of their traveling together and he'd gained all the more respect for her for it. 

    However, the scene in front of her was exactly where she'd first encountered her first ghoul, as well as the pointless hatred-it was like people thought they _chose_ to be ghouls-and she'd had quite enough of this reoccurring  pattern. Every time she stepped through the bloody door, someone was yelling at Gob-she didn't even drink; how much alcohol had she bought just to store it in her house or sell it to a caravan as soon as she left town, just so she could strike up conversation with him? She'd almost reached her boiling point the day she'd met him and he'd begged her not to hit him, but she'd refrained from putting a bullet through Moriarty's head out of desperation of finding her dad. 

    Collin Moriarty was far worse in her eyes than a group of raiders or even the super mutants in the DC ruins, simply because he was an insufferable pig. He'd rubbed her the wrong way from the first word out of his mouth and her distaste only grew each time she chatted with Gob, learning more about his past and the almost never ending battle to buy his freedom. 

    Of all the people she'd resisted shooting in order to remain chummy with others around, no one had even tempted her more. 

    "Hey!" Her voice echoed around the saloon, gaining the attention and silence of everyone present. Oh yes, she might spend a little over half her time in Megaton, but she was still widely respected; everyone knew what her and her companions had accomplished and they were immediately interested and intimidated by her outburst.

    Dogmeat rose from where he rested at her feet, offering a growl as he sensed his master's unrest. Charon was already standing, always refusing any offered seat while he maintained his "bodyguard mode" as Harper liked to call it, his hand was at his gun the moment Harper got to her feet, the only sound in the room the skidding of her bar stool against the floor. 

    "How much?" The question came from gritted teeth underneath blue eyes burning with a fire no one in Megaton had ever had the displeasure of seeing. Charon had seen it on many occasions and, he knew, that fire only appeared when all sense of goodwill and charity had vanished from her mind. She only gave that look to those she saw as irredeemable, namely, those who mistreated ghouls. 

    Simultaneously, Gob and Charon's mouths opened, both prepared to argue against her intentions-Charon for concern that this would get out of hand, Gob out of concern of her getting involved at her own risk-but a glance from her fiery eyes stopped them before they could start. She was the Lone Wanderer. She knew exactly what she was doing. 

    "Well?"

    "For what?" He was the only one in the room who seemed completely unconcerned, but Harper knew better. She saw his hand twitch, moving closer to his weapon as his eyes glanced between her and her 6'4 companion. 

    "How much does Gob owe you?" 

    The confusion on Moriarty's face turned to amusement in an instant and it made her blood boil. Though she prided herself on not pulling her gun prematurely, her hand twitched of it's own volition before she quelled the fury in her. Even Charon had taken a step back, noticing the twitch of her hand and giving her room if she did happen to lash out. While neither him, Dogmeat, or anyone not Moriarty had anything to fear from her, if she whipped that gun off her back quick enough, she was liable to hit him with it. 

    "Are you planning on paying his debt? I doubt you could pay your own bar tab."

    Months upon months of scavenging had brought an overabundance of caps to her possession, add to that the countless caps rewarded after she did a good deed and she was practically loaded. While his comment didn't irk her as much as his actions, she was going to enjoy shoving the caps into his hands with no hesitation. Whatever extortion he had managed to gain money from, she'd gained far more by simply being a good person. 

    In a flash, Harper had grabbed hold of his collar, pulling him to lean over the bar while she snarled at him, "How. Much." Multiple people had brought their hands to their own weapons, few of them giving any real sense of certainty, they knew that any hostility would likely lead to their own deaths. 

    Finally, a true look of fear flashed through the man's eyes, calming her anger-how long had she waited for that? He named a number and, after a quick glance at him, Charon tossed a bag onto the bar, 5,000 caps-all they had on them, but certainly not the extent of their resources. 

    "Pleasure doing business with you." She gave a solid shove as she released him, sending him stumbling back as a satisfied smirk grew on her lips. She wasn't one to be trifled with and now Collin knew it as well as anyone else who had inspired her anger. 

    She turned to Gob, smirk turning to a kind smile, "You're welcome to come with us. We stop by Underworld a lot, if you're interested of course. Other than that, anyone gives you any trouble, you come to me and I'll handle it." 

    "Uh... thank you." He was beyond shocked, sure Harper had never once commented on his appearance, even when she had first met him-she had questioned him gently, explaining where she had came from with a tired, but kind smile-she always left extra caps in the wake of her visits, even in the beginning when she was scraping by to keep her weapons and clothes from falling to pieces, but he'd never expected her to buy his freedom. She'd stated once that freedom was something everyone should be allowed, that was the first time he had noticed the disdain in her eyes. He'd assumed it was something that had always been there, something he'd happened to overlook and chalked her kindness up to her being that way naturally. 

    When she'd returned to the saloon with Charon in tow, he'd initially been confused, certain that the disdain he had seen had been for what he was, but here she was, the talk of the Wasteland, traveling with a ghoul at her side. She even occasionally nudged him, offering a bad joke to which he wouldn't respond, clearly he'd misjudged her disdain. 

    Still, no matter how much she had done for others, even gaining a nasty and deep gash across her face after one difficult task, he'd never thought she'd offer her caps for him. 

    Harper's eyes were scanning the occupants of the saloon, eyes meeting each concerned gaze. She raised a brow. Was it really so hard to be kind to a ghoul? 

    With a sigh, her eyes returned to Gob, "Well, what'd'ya say? Want to head out?" 

    "Yeah," he nodded, smiling at her, "I'd like that."


	3. [Nova and Hancock] [2]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just some more rambling written on mobile and not edited on word yet, so there might be mistakes Emotional abuse is kind of eluded to, but I don't think I really went into it in this one. Also the whole cigarette thing does have an explanation, but I haven't written it into anything yet. It's kind of a character development that she stops associating the smell with her past so... yeah.

   Her eyes were cold as she glared at the man in front of her, the icy blue color making her irritation all the more visible. She had her reasons for not trusting people, men in particular, but that didn't mean she was letting this guy bully her into stepping down. 

 

"You wanna move?" She cocked her head, eyes watching his hands as one of her own rested right next to her gun. Her fingers twitched as he moved, anxious to grab her protection, but in no hurry to have the town she'd wandered into turn on her so quickly. She was the outsider here, who's to say this wasn't an integral part of their town: hazing the newcomers with smoke in their face and a cocky grin. 

 

She hated cigarettes. Brought back memories she'd rather forget-happy or not-they burned her lungs more from the bitterness of her thoughts than the smoke, though it didn't feel too good going into her lungs either. 

 

"First time in Goodneighbor? You can't go walking around without insurance." 

 

Her fingers twitched again, all too aware of where this conversation was headed. At least men were the same sleaze-bags they'd always been, that didn't seem to have changed. "I'm not interested." She glared at him, hoping her appearance was close enough to that of someone who had been raised in the Commonwealth, not in pre-war Massachusetts. She'd dropped the vault suit as soon as she could, but, in reality, there were plenty of ways to spot her softness. 

 

"Now don't be like that. I think you're going to like what I have on offer. You hand over everything you got in them pockets or accidents start happenin' to ya. Big, bloody accidents." 

 

The tingle on the back of her neck warning of danger intensified and her hand wrapped around the pistol tucked in her waistband. She took a half step back, a twinge of fear sparking in her chest, reminding her that her once mostly irrational fear was very rational now, 200 years later. Gender hardly mattered now-anyone would be able to handle a pre-war softie like her-but still, her fear for men fueled the trembling beginning in her hands. 

 

"Whoa, whoa, time out." Her eyes flickered in the direction of the new voice, expecting it to be someone who'd seen the weapon she was all too prepared to pull and was coming to back up her assailant. She took a step back, having to force herself not to pull her gun upon noticing his appearance. 

 

 _Wait_. 

 

 _What_? 

 

She hadn't expected a ghoul, in fact, she didn't even know there were ghouls that didn't attack on sight. Preston had mentioned it, she thought, but she was still reeling from her departure from the vault to recall in detail. Truth be told, that entire encounter felt hazy, had she really slaughtered those people? Had she really killed that-that… thing?

 

"Someone steps through the gate the first time, they're a guest. You lay off that extortion crap." He was  _defending_  her? That was the last thing she'd expected. 

 

"What do you care? She ain't one of us." 

 

A lump formed in her throat. No, she wasn't going to cry-anyone could see the outcome of that-but she'd thought she'd at least put on a good act. She wasn't sure if he meant one of them as in their town, or the Commonwealth as a whole, but she knew good and well she wasn't either. She was just a woman out of her time, hunting for a son she could only hope was alive. 

 

"No love for your mayor, Finn? I said let her go." Another thing to add to the list of surprises. He was the mayor. 

 

"You're soft, Hancock. You keep letting outsiders walk all over us, one day there'll be a new mayor." 

 

"Come on, man. This is me we're talking about. Let me tell you something." 

 

Nova reeled back as the mayor stabbed her would-be mugger, just as scared when he hit the ground as when he had been standing over her.  _Brutal_. She'd been prepared to fire a bullet through his skull moments before, but the absolute abruptness of the attack knocked her off guard. Had she really expected a peaceful outcome for any conflict from this war-torn world? It was kill or be killed, in the most literal sense of the term. 

 

"You alright, sister?" 

 

Her eyes raised from the body when he addressed her, looking from him to the body and back a couple of times before she seemed to catch up with the situation again. 

 

That was a loaded question. Was anyone alright in this world? There were monsters and people killing each other everywhere she turned;  _no_  she wasn't okay, but she doubted he wanted the real answer and screaming in his face about how she wanted to shove herself back into the cryopod she'd crawled out of didn't sound like a good idea. 

 

She wanted Nate. 

 

It was something she'd never expected to think. Yes, she'd loved him-as much as you could make yourself love anyone-and no, she wouldn't wish him dead, but she hadn't dwelled on his death the way she expected most wives would have. They were dumb kids when they'd married, her to escape the burden her last name carried and him for the delusion of loving her. In the end, she'd married a man like her father, but that wasn't the point. He was intimidating and experienced. He could handle this far better than she could. 

 

She wished she had died. 

 

It was morbid and most certainly not a thought she would act on, but she couldn't help but think it. Nate had far more of a chance than her of saving their son. Shaun deserved more than the human disaster she was to give him a chance of being rescued. 

 

"Anyone in there?" 

 

She blinked, slowly coming back from her thoughts. "You're… a ghoul." It sounded so dumb, so sheltered. No one who belonged here would have stated something as obvious as that. It crossed her mind as an afterthought that she might have offended the man who just straight up murdered someone in front of her. 

 

His chuckle caught her off guard, though it eased her concerns a bit, "Good eye. Lot of walking rad freaks like me around here, so you might want to keep those kind of statements on the low burner next time. Goodneighbor's of the people, for the people, you feel me? Everyone's welcome." 

 

"Sorry." She weighed her words carefully, not wanting to farther prove she'd practically just stepped into this world and had no idea what was going on, but, she decided eventually, what did it matter? He could probably tell just from the way her startled eyes darted away when they caught the slightest movement. "I didn't mean anything. It's just, you're the first non—feral? Is that what he called them?—that I've met." 

 

She'd left Preston behind the moment they'd reached Sanctuary, too unnerved by the group to stick around for long, kind as they seemed—Marcy Long aside. Though she'd blocked most of what he said from her mind—ghouls, Minutemen, raiders, it was too  _much_ —she could recall some of what he had said, she didn't have an outstanding memory as it was, and the stress she was under didn't exactly make her want to remember. 

 

"Did you step out of a vault yesterday?" 

 

More than just a vault. "I should go." She was gone before anything more could be said. 

 

-

 

Nova rolled a pen she'd found in one of the buildings she'd scavenged over her knuckles, repeating the process as she stared at the water in front of her. She'd really let herself get sucked into trouble this time, hadn't she?

 

She'd let passion cloud her judgement, the idea of robbing a bigoted town too much to resist. At least something felt normal again: she was screwing herself over.

 

 _Fine_. She finally stopped rolling the pen.  _It was a_ … somewhat  _honest mistake_. The last thing she wanted was to make herself seem blindly trusting, but she had gotten herself in this mess. She just had to hope he believed that her naivety was what got her into this situation. 

 

She stepped lightly, something she'd always done in the presence of multiple people, making each footstep completely silent and slinking around practically pushed against the wall. The less eyes that met her frame the better. 

 

Nova offered a nod to Fahrenheit as she noticed her before heading towards Hancock's form in the opposite direction. 

 

She couldn't help but be proud over the fact that Fahrenheit had seemed impressed with how quickly she'd dealt with Bobbi, but she knew—even if absolutely no one else noticed—she knew how to use a gun. That was one of the joys of family in the country, plenty of targets and space to hone your senses. 

 

She rubbed the back of her head as she announced her presence with a less than comital "So, uh, I might have messed up." She avoided his gaze, hand twitching for something to fidget with. Yet another reason Nate should have survived; he didn't have anxiety. "Maybe. Just a… okay definitely and a lot. Sorry." 

 

She'd never liked admitting she was wrong, especially when it was obvious, people always seemed to love holding her mistakes over her and she thought about them enough as it was. Still, something about his amused grin made the apology a bit more bearable. 

 

"Hey, this is Goodneighbor. No hard feelings." At least that was something she could be grateful for, despite everything. "Here, for protecting my stash." Nova was all too quick to accept the caps, whether she'd earned them or not, she was eating through caps far too quick. "Wise decision turning on Bobbi like that." 

 

"Wanted to steal from jerks, not the guy who killed a bully for trying to take my lunch money." It felt good to joke, even when it came to such a morbid subject. Guess jokes were probably morbid around here anyway, what with the world having ended and all. 

 

"Lemme tell ya, this classy little tricorner hat of mine is getting heavy. Am I turning into the man? Some kind of tyrant?" Nova cocked her head. Tyrant was the last word she would have used to describe him, especially in the terms of the days she came from. Besides, anyone would protect what was theirs. She faintly remembered punching a kid in grade school when he took one of her crayons and had to fight down a grin. "I spend all my time putting down the people I would've been proud to scheme with just a few years ago. I need to take a walk again. Get a grip on what really matters: Living free."

 

"You can do that? Gotta figure people won't be too pleased with you leaving with someone who stumbled into town two days ago." 

 

"Hey, the mayor's still the mayor,  whether he's 'in residence' or not. I've walked out of here plenty of times. Keeps me honest. Can't let power get to my head. That's not what being in charge of Goodneighbor's about." 

 

Nova hesitated, all the lines she'd taught herself echoing in the back of her mind.  _Men are dangerous. Men will use you until they get tired of you_. The thoughts lead down a rabbit hole of things her father had taught her, ranging from the general to the more personal, but still, the words slipped out before she could stop them and she wasn't about to say she'd slipped up. "You're welcome to tag along with me."

 

"Yeah, I like it. You might just be the right kind of trouble." 

 

She'd never admit it, but, just for a moment, she considered responding with,  _I could say the same about you._


	4. [Nova and Nick] [1]

   "So…" Nova nervously popped her fingers, a habit she developed as a teenager after realizing she was double-jointed. How she'd gotten so close to the raiders, she'd never know, but they sat around her, listening to her story with intrigue. She had to thank God she'd always been so charismatic. 

 

   She was glad she'd declined both Nick and Hancock's offers to travel with her, normally she kept one or both at her sides, but she figured she could make it to Sanctuary on her own, besides, they had things to do without her constantly running mouth distracting them. There was no way either of them would have sat in the midst of raiders calmly as she discussed her goal to find her son and assist the Commonwealth along the way. Oddly enough, they didn't seem to care that she was the so-called General of the Minutemen, responsible for the deaths of multiple raiders. Oh well, she doubted they cared much for people outside of their immediate group at all. 

 

   She wasn't far from Diamond City, but the dank hovel they were in couldn't have been more different from the city. The basement had been virtually untouched by time and the door had only just been unlocked with her own skill, revealing a massive storage of alcohol, definitely aged at this point. There was something nostalgic about the basement, reminding her of her grandmother's basement—minus the alcohol—that they'd spent huddled in during a tornado—or was it a hurricane? 

 

   One of the raiders cuffed her on the shoulder as she laughed at a pre-war joke Nova had provided. 

 

   What was she doing here?

 

   She systematically glanced down at her Pip-Boy, certain it would vanish from her wrist at any moment, then around the table, certain someone would suddenly shout, "she doesn't belong here!" but nothing of the sort occurred, reminding her that—though they'd done horrible things—these were just people and they were having a good time. 

 

   Jo—as one of the woman had introduced herself—seemed more left out of the conversation, offering quick glances to the door that Nova easily caught. She hadn't touched a drop of alcohol, nor hit the chems like most of the other occupants of the room—the smell was almost overpowering, if she hadn't gotten used to the chems because of Hancock, she might have had to excuse herself—and she didn't seem to plan on doing so anytime soon. 

 

   When all of the rooms occupants were either passed out or too drunk to find their way to the door, let alone the trigger of a gun, she leaned over to Jo. "You wanna get out of here too?" 

 

   With a nod, her and Jo exited the basement, the fresh air freeing their lungs from the smell of stale liquor was all too welcome. 

 

-

 

   "What if you'd been hurt?" 

 

   Nova rolled her eyes, regretting it after the fact-he had a right to worry, reckless as she was-but still, she wasn't a child. "Nick, you and I both know I can handle myself." She'd been doing so since she had stepped out of Vault 111, even saving Preston and his group only a few hours later-even if it had been with reckless abandon, she wouldn't admit that now. 

 

   Jo stood on the sidelines, dressed in some undersized clothes of Nova's. Nova's short stature made the legs of the pants stop short of even the ex-raider's boots and her shirt, while noticeably baggy on her, fit Jo snugly. She shifted awkwardly on her feet. She'd been none too pleased with the clothes offered to her, but letting her walk into Diamond City in her raider get-up seemed like asking for trouble. 

 

   Those guards had had it in for her since they caught her smuggling John into the city. 

 

   Nick sighed, rolling his eyes. Yes,  _she_  knew she could handle herself and that's what scared him. "How did you know they weren't going to ambush you?" 

 

   "They already had. Do you really think I'm dumb enough to go in a dark basement with a group of raiders?" She huffed, and muttered childishly under her breath afterward, "At least  _they_  laughed at my jokes." Nick rolled his eyes again and she sighed. " _Look_ , it all worked out in the end, now, could my  _favorite_  synth detective possibly escort me and my new friend to Sanctuary?" She flashed the puppy-dog eyes, buttering him up as she made herself as cute as possible. 

 

   He was falling for it and he knew it. She played him too easily. "Why not ask Hancock?" 

 

   She opened her mouth to speak.  _Darn_. She definitely shouldn't have let slip she was closer to Goodneighbor when this fiasco occurred. "Uh… right, could we  _not_  tell him about this?" She chuckled nervously, "You know I'm a human disaster, he's still under the assumption that I'm… not that." She turned away, rubbing the back of her neck as she muttered, "Plus, I promised no more bringing home strays-no offense-and I think she counts." 

 

   "After the deathclaw incident?" 

 

   Jo perked up at that. That was a story she definitely wanted to hear. 

 

   "Everyone loves Lady-look that's not the point! Don't tell him!" Sure, she'd shown off for Nick, still did, but-even with those eyes-when she got hurt because of her stupidity, he was more coddling, which she pretended to hate but actually  _loved_. Hancock on the other hand took the tough love approach, berating her and hovering until whatever wounds she had faded. She didn't like disappointing either of them, and walking into a den of raiders was definitely disappointment worthy. 

 

"Fine, fine, when do you want to head out?"

 

"Up to you. Thanks, Nick, you're a lifesaver!" Nova kissed him on the cheek, close to his lips, before heading out the door, Jo following in stunned silence. 

 

Once outside the door, waiting patiently, Jo spoke up, stuttering a bit as she did. "Are you two…?" She trailed off, confusion still clear on her face.

 

"Are we what?" She knew exactly what Jo was asking, and the look on her face portrayed that clearly. Truth by told, she'd resisted using pre-war terms for her and Nick, or her and Hancock for that matter,  _dating_  didn't seem the right term when your only  _dates_  were the nights huddling around a fire in the middle of the Commonwealth, most likely coated in blood-both your enemies and your own.  _Boyfriend_  seemed so immature a term, even for her less than mature attitude.  _Husband_  was definitely off the table. 

 

"Are you… together?" 

 

Nova hadn't expected Jo to press farther, but she humored her. "I love him." She gauged Jo's response waiting for some slander about synths-that definitely wouldn't fly in Sanctuary. She'd still take Jo to a settlement, but Sanctuary was a place many synths frequented when the Railroad's safe houses were full and she wasn't risking their safety over a very recent deserter of the raiders. 

 

Everyone was welcome in  _any_  of the settlements-ghouls, synths, ex-raiders-in fact, she frequently checked in on each of them when scavenging, ensuring that any of the new settlers knew the morals the settlements operated on, often with either Nick, Hancock, or both in tow. The number of times guns had been raised at her companions made her bristle. Still, despite the morals being the same in all the settlements, Sanctuary  _needed_  to be secure. 

 

"I mean…" she stuttered, "no offense, I just never imagined a human and a synth-"

 

Nova couldn't help but let a laugh slip past her lips. She'd never made someone so nervous so easily. "Sure, he's a bit beat up, but," she pointed to her scarred forehead and the jagged scars extending across most of the left side of her face, she'd stepped out of the vault with less, but she'd been swiped by a Deathclaw barely a week after making them far worse, "so am I." 

 

Nick finally exited the agency, cigarette in his hand as he faced the two women. "Ready to hit the road?" 

 

"Yep!" Nova beamed at him, conversation all but forgotten as she wrapped her arms around one of his. "We've gotta start bringing Lady so we can ride her everywhere." 

 

"No." 

 

"What was the deathclaw incident?" 

 

Nova grinned and Nick let out a sigh. This was going to be a long trip. 


	5. [Nova and Hancock] [3]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Nova has a semi-panic attack. I want to make clear I am not romanticizing anxiety or panic attacks. I suffer with anxiety and have had panic attacks: they are not fun, but they are an aspect of Nova.

Nova was leaning comfortably against Hancock's side, laughing along with the conversation he was having with a—very drunk—MacCready. Her distaste for alcohol and men came into play quite often while in the Third Rail, she felt trapped, like someone was going to hurt her, but being against Hancock's side quelled her fears, more because she knew that no one would dare to mess with her while by his side than trust. Though that was a stronger factor than she'd like to admit. 

 

She had it so bad. She wouldn't have stepped foot in this place if it wasn't for him. 

 

Hancock stood, Nova's hand keeping a light grip on his for a moment before dropping. He knew how uncomfortable she got, no matter how well she could defend herself, but no one else needed to know how pathetic she was. 

 

She could imagine the lecture she'd get if she let those self-deprecating thoughts be heard. Neither of her boys would deal well with that. 

 

"C-could you get me some water?" She looked to the side, cheeks turning slightly red, because she was so  _needy_. It was  _embarrassing_.

 

"Coming right up." He gave her a grin and she returned it with a crooked and somewhat unsure smile of her own. 

 

"Thanks, John."

 

As he walked to the bar, she immediately pulled a pen from her pocket and began rolling it through her fingers. She kept her eyes on his back, usually, the distance wouldn't have made her so uncomfortable, but there were so  _many_  people here tonight. More than she was willing to deal with. This wasn't a battleground—she felt plenty comfortable on those—but situations with people she couldn't, or didn't want, to shoot down made her unbearably uncomfortable. She'd be fine in her own little corner, but there was so much chatter and–

 

"Hey, babe." 

 

She could feel her already tense muscles practically lock into place as this stranger tossed an arm over her shoulders. This wasn't a fight. How did she deal with this? The pen fell to the floor, something about the loss triggering a slight speeding of her breaths. 

 

Not here. 

 

Not  _here_. 

 

"Get lost." Her words were growled, but they weren't enough to deter the man. 

 

"Don't be like that. I can show you a better time than that ghoul."

 

Anger spiked for a moment and she almost turned and decked the man for daring to insult  _her_  ghoul. 

 

She could feel her hands beginning to shake when Hancock's voice cut through the panic, giving her something to anchor herself to. "Look at you, makin' friends." 

 

Nova's eyes snapped in his direction, silently begging him to get her out of this situation. Her hand moved toward her pocket instinctively, but stopped short when she remembered that her pen was on the floor. 

 

It was such a silly thing to get upset over, but she knew the tears were coming. She just wanted her  _pen_. 

 

A choked gasp came from her throat. She needed to count. 

 

_10_

 

"Get lost." The man must have been drunk, or he was a severely stupid drifter, to talk to Hancock like that. 

 

_20_

 

The man's arm wrapped tighter around her shoulders and another gasp came from her throat, breaths still coming, but being interrupted and labored. He had to be drunk not to notice. Or he was a massive jerk. 

 

_30_

 

She felt the man get pulled off of her, but was too focused on the numbers to check. 

 

_40_

 

A hand pushed her pen back into her grip and she gripped it as if her life depended on it. The hands nudged her up to her feet, one arm wrapping around her and escorting her to the exit. 

 

_50_

 

Slowly, as the outside air hit her and the voices surrounding her faded, her breaths evened out, returning to their normal tempo. One hand still gripped the pen, it's imprint definitely on her skin by now, the other gripped Hancock's coat as she pushed herself against his side. 

 

Why was she so  _needy_?

 

"I'm sorry," She sniffled, wiping the tear stains on her face, "that was dumb." 

 

"Hey now, sunshine," she couldn't help but smile at the nickname, her heart swelling when she heard it, "we've talked about this. It ain't dumb." 

 

Nova scoffed, "Yes, it is, there's no use in trying to spare my feelings. I know I'm a burden. Nate—" she cut herself off, knowing she'd let too much slip in that one word. 

 

He opened his mouth to respond to the comment, anger rising once again, but thought better of it, "You're  _not_  a burden."

 

"If I wasn't, you'd still be down there drinking, instead of coddling me because I dropped a bloody  _pen_." The pen wasn't the trigger—not to the whole attack—she wouldn't have panicked at all if that drunkard hadn't wandered up and decided to get in her personal space.  _Everyone_  knew not to get to close to her. She'd never panicked before, but she did get very hostile. 

 

"You're more important than alcohol, Nova." 

 

That shook her resolve. She wasn't used to him or Nick using her name, nicknames felt so much more personal to her and, though she'd never said it out loud, they seemed to pick up on her adoration for the cheesy names they used. "Still." She trailed off. 

 

"Can… Can we just–I don't know–go cuddle or something?" She gave him the puppy eyes, though they weren't necessary. 

 

This conversation wasn't over, but the exhaustion was clear in her eyes. This wasn't the first time he'd seen her have a panic attack, even if this one had only teetered on the edge of being full blown, he knew how tired they made her. He could see the self disgust on her face after each one, mingling with the fear of another, and the exhaustion. She could shake for hours after each one. They weren't something that could be ignored. 

 

"Whatever you want, trouble." 

 

Her pen rolled between her fingers again, a habit that was an easy sign of her unease. "I'm sorry I'm broke." 

 

His hand tightened on her shoulder, he wanted to dispel any and all the thoughts put in her head, but no matter how many times he tried, it always seemed to come back to this. "You're not broken." 

 

All he could do was try and convince her, and she tried to believe him, God knew she wanted to believe him, but it wasn't so easy to fall out of old habits or old thoughts. 

 

At least, as they sat on his bed, she could relax against his side once again, reveling in the affection he offered her despite her brokenness. That was enough for now. It was enough to know he cared. 

 

"I love you." She entangled one of her hands with his, resting her head against his shoulder and letting her eyes drift closed. 

 

"Love you too, sunshine, don't you ever forget it." 


	6. [Nova and Her Family] [1]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N-The story of Lady will come someday soon. I just wanted to write some fluff with Lady and it turned into average family times™. Set after the events of the main game so spoilers? I mean, I assume everyone has already played it, but I got into late so *shrugs* I'm too tired to review this accurately right now, so please forgive (and possibly tell me) of any mistakes. 
> 
> I'll probably be posting something for Boone next, but this was supposed to be about Boone until I got drawn in by my love of deathclaws, so I won't promise anything.

"Lady!" The deathclaw bounded toward Nova, knocking her to her feet—hard enough to knock a few breaths out of her, but nothing new. "Hey, my girl! How's my favorite deathclaw? You want a treat, yeah?" Lady let her up after covering her face with licks, eager for whatever treat Nova had brought her. "Here girl, here you go!" She tossed a rad-stag steak to Lady and she caught it mid air.

 

"You spoil that thing."

 

Nova sighed a little and turned to Nick, "C'mon, you know you like her too. Lady! Nick wants cuddles!" Immediately Lady bounded toward Nick and wrapped herself around him, licking his cheek as she did.

 

While Nova and Hancock laugh, Nick patted her head, "Thanks, Lady."

 

Nova snorted at the awkward interaction. "Don't tell me you're still scared she's going to attack someone. I raised her!" She clicked her tongue and Lady hopped back in her direction to receive Nova's affection. "Ain't that right, sweetie? You only attack people momma doesn't like." Lady made a happy purring-growl sound, deep in her throat.

 

"I guess we're lucky you like us then." Hancock had leaned against a house, watching Nova as he took a huff of jet.

 

A smirk crossed her lips, "Now, who ever said I liked you? Go get him, Lady! Get him!" Lady ran at Hancock, crouching like Dogmeat when he wanted to play once she got close—she had plenty of his habits, considering she was being raised around him—wagging her large tail excitedly. Dogmeat, noticing the activity barked and hopped in himself.

 

Hancock chuckled and patted Lady's head before Dogmeat bumped his leg and barked for attention.

 

Nova grinned at the scene. Now, where were her other children? "Preston, Shaun!"

 

Shaun was running at her in a moment, jumping into her arms and sending Nova back a few steps. He'd definitely learned that from her doing it to Hancock and Nick. "I missed you!" He squeezed his arms around her neck and she kissed his cheek.

 

"I missed you too, sweetheart." Preston was close behind him, grin on his face as he approached. "And how is my favorite Minuteman?"

 

"General…" he trailed off looking flustered and glancing around to see if anyone else had heard that.

 

"Checked up on a bunch of settlements on the way here, plus the ones you sent me to help. They're all doing good!" Working closely with the Minutemen and the Railroad involved near constant circles, but she never complained, always ready to set out as soon as she'd spent some time with her family. "How's everything around here? Everyone handling Lady well?" At her name, she quickly looked over at Nova, abandoning Dogmeat who she was playing with.

 

"Everyone's a little unnerved by her." Preston had been completely against keeping the deathclaw when Nova had first brought her to Sanctuary, after finding her clinging to her dead mother and making horrid crying sounds. He had taken to her soon after, as she would latch herself to his leg and beg for scraps whenever Nova wasn't around. "But no one's tried to hurt her."

 

"Good, anyone who hurts my daughter will have to deal with me. Same goes for you, munchkin." She gave Shaun an Eskimo kiss as he giggled. "How about you go talk with Nick and John while I talk with Preston. After that, I want to know everything you've been up to while I was gone. Deal?"

 

"Deal!"

 

-

 

Later that night, after the other Minutemen—minus the guards on duty—had went off to bed, Nova laid in the sand outside the castle walls, legs tossed over Hancock's lap and head against Nick's thigh. The two men were both smoking, the smell of smoke filling the surrounding air, but she didn't mind. After all, it didn't remind her of her childhood anymore, it reminded her of her boys.

 

"I love you both." The words were mumbled, not that it was the first time she'd said them, but she was nearly asleep, "I don't know why," the teasing tone prompted a nudge from Hancock knee, "but I really do. Never thought I'd get anything like this pre-war."

 

"Ghoul and synth boyfriends?"

 

She snickered as she nudged him with her heel. "I only called you that once and it was because someone was flirting with you." She sighed, "No, I just… I was content spending the rest of my life with Nate."

 

"I don't mean to pry, but… you don't talk about him much." Nick's yellow eyes almost made it seem like he could see through her, but she had no intentions of divulging her past until she knew how to word it.

 

"It just… wasn't the best marriage. Leave it at that." A heavy sigh behind them reminded her that Lady had followed them out of the Castle and made herself a bed in the sand. "I just never thought I'd have a happy family, least of all a big one." That was new. She'd never openly referred to them as a family, other than Shaun, Dogmeat, and Lady as her children. She didn't seem to notice her slip.

 

"Family?"

 

"Crap, sorry, too far? I just mean… I'm so much closer to you two than I ever was Nate and you actually care enough to respect my comfort zones."

 

She yelped quietly when Nick pulled her into a kiss, the movement far from expected. The moment he pulled away she was pulled into another kiss, this time from Hancock.

 

"Well," she grinned, laying back on Nick's lap when Hancock pulled away, "I guess not then." She closed her eyes, satisfied grin on her face.

 

She nearly jumped out of her skin when a long tongue licked the side of her face. "Lady!"

 

"Guess she got jealous."

 

Nova sighed and pressed a kiss to her snout. "Rotten thing."


	7. [Kaia and Boone] [1]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I said I was gonna do it and I did. I finished this awhile ago and once again it's just rambling.

There was something dangerous in her eyes. 

Of course, there was something dangerous about her in general. He knew that. This was the woman who had risked her life to climb to a vantage point in the middle of Quarry Junction and spent the following hours shooting down deathclaws. The woman who kept a nightstalker as a pet and somehow had convinced him and Rex to accept it.  

Next thing he knew, she'd be trying to make  _friends_  with deathclaws.  

She'd dived into Boomer territory with little more than a moment's thought, charged into the middle of multiple Legion camps, and she was still alive to tell the tale.  

Kaia was dangerous, yet he still trailed behind her, throwing scraps to Scruffy and frequently napping amongst the remains of their enemies. She had the type of charismatic personality no one could ignore and a crooked smile that he was convinced could draw in anyone.  

He had it bad.  

Scruffy, the terrifying little monster, spent day and night by her side, hissing whenever Boone got too close for his comfort and bearing his fangs. Sure, Rex could get as close as he wanted, but Boone wanted to talk and he got veiled threats from a hardly-domesticated beast.  

"Boone," her voice cut through the air, quiet and uncertain in the darkness that surrounded them, brightened only by the Pip-boy on her wrist, "you wanna help me out here?"  

She didn't small talk with him often—not that asking for help was small talk—it wasn't that she was quiet, she'd proved quite the opposite when in the midst of others, but he was and she never made an attempt to force a conversation, she'd rather spend time in the blissful silence, listening for danger while the fire crackled in front of them. He'd seen her get wounded many times, which was no surprise when how long they'd been traveling together was considered, but she'd never asked for his help with a wound before and he wasn't expecting her to start now.  

"Well?"  

She was obviously getting more flustered the longer it took him to reply. She didn't like asking for help, he'd always pushed it off on how baby-faced she was, coupled with her size, it made for some vastly incorrect assumptions of her age. "Sure." 

Scruffy hissed as Boone approached, but a swift tap on his nose silenced him. "Be nice, grumpy, Craig's a friend." He huffed a bit, giving Boone a look of what he could almost swear was jealousy—she did give him and Rex most of her attention, to be fair—but laid back down none the less. Kaia smiled her almost cocky smile at him, a split lip from a lucky punch and the swelling from another on her nose giving her a look matching her personality. "Don't think it needs stitches, but we're out of stims so I'm not sure."  

She lifted her shirt, giving him a view of her scarred and muscled back, with a deep cut running from below her bra to her right hip.  

"Looks bad." 

She snorted, "Wow, I never would of guessed. The blinding pain didn't give that one away." She could almost see him rolling his eyes at her sarcasm. "You think it needs stitches or can we just wrap it and buy some stims tomorrow?"  

"I'm sure it can wait. Do we have any bandages?" 

"I have a…" she ruffled around in the bag at her feet, pushing aside countless objects that he'd never understand the point of dragging around, "pair of jeans." She rose the tattered fabric over her shoulder, handing it to Boone. "So." 

Boone raised a brow at the one word sentence, waiting for her to continue. "So what?" 

"So, how are you?" The question came with the softness he'd heard her use with only children and animals, the motherly tone you wouldn't expect from a blood-stained wastelander who spent most of her time tossing sarcastic comments in the faces of almost everyone they met.  

The tone threw him for a loop, but he regained his composure quiet enough to pull his hand away before she could place her own on it. "I'm  _fine_." 

She sighed, not calling him on the blatant lie, but turning to herself instead. "I'm glad one of us is." She shrugged, her shoulders slumping as they fell, "Kinda hard not knowing who you are, you know?" 

It wasn't something she spoke about often. She kept it to herself, suffering in silence through the nightmarish memories that came in flashes, jolting her awake most nights. He's heard the labored breathing as she tried to remember where she was and put the thoughts in order in her mind, but he'd never asked her about it; she didn't ask him about his traumas, he wouldn't ask her. Though it seemed she'd finally decided to open up about it. 

"The first thing I remember is waking up in the middle of nowhere with those bloody ants crawling over me. Don't know how I didn't get devoured there. Before that there's nothin'." Another sigh slid past her lips, "It's kinda hard to be someone when your entire past is just shadows." 

"You remember your name."  

She snorted, wincing as a sharp pain went through her side. "Kaia isn"t my name, not so far as I know. Didn't have a name at all the first few months, then I found a book of pre-war names. I switched my name every new place I went for awhile, but after…" her brow wrinkled, her long-term goal returning to the forefront of her mind, " _anyway_ , after Goodsprings I settled on Kaia. Figured I could stand living with it, short as a life I'll probably have, 'least until I get a flash of a name or something." 

"Why bring this up now?" As he used some tape that she'd tossed to him earlier in the day to secure the makeshift bandage, he couldn't help but ask.  

"Thought it was about time, I knew enough about you." She took a breath, considering her next words, "figured I cared enough about you to share too." 

He was silent, sparking anxiety, just as she prepared to get to her feet, his hand rested on one of hers. "Glad you feel the same." 

Even through the pain in her back, she was ecstatic.  

 


	8. [Nova and Hancock] [4]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I don't remember what sparked this, but I was in a weird mood where I was getting emotional over everything so, here's this.

_I'm a mess._  

The words flooded Nova's mind as she stared at the face of a man she never imagined she'd love, delirious from lack of sleep, but all too willing to stay awake and watch his chest rise and fall with each breath. She'd traced every bit of his face and bare chest with her eyes many times over, but still continued in her attempts to ingrain the image of every inch of his radiation-marred skin into her mind, following her eyes with the feather-light touch of her fingertips.  

Their legs were tangled together, her legs, covered only at the hips by a pair of short-shorts too bright and cute to be wore around anyone other than her boys even if not so short—Deacon would have a field day with seeing  _her_  of all people in such girly clothes—rubbed against the similarly fluffy and bright pajama pants she'd insisted he wear so they'd have equal leverage if one decided to blackmail the other—she  _knew_  he was thinking about telling Deacon the moment she'd found the bloody shorts; she should have never accepted his friendship. She had no idea how long he'd been asleep and was fairly certain that the numbness in her left leg wasn't good, however she had no intentions of shifting.  

They'd both been exhausted after a close run-in with a pair of not-so-friendly deathclaws had almost gotten both of them killed. The look he'd given her after the deathclaws were dead and she mentioned Lady was  _almost_  a glare, but far too amused to elicit more than a grin from her.  

They had crashed in a surprisingly intact house, at least, Hancock had, she'd spent the last however-long they'd been in this bed staring at him. The thought crossed her mind that she'd look like a creep when he woke up, but the idea of burning his image in her brain had already taken root and she wasn't in the habit of stopping once she started. Though she knew she was almost beyond a shadow of a doubt going to die before he did—a thought that came up often when in a relationship with a ghoul and a synth—she still wanted to be sure. God knew she would give her life for him without a second thought, but she was just her and it  _killed_  her.  

"You should be asleep, sunshine."  

His voice didn't surprise her, she had felt his form shift before his lips had even twitched, a loving smile made itself at home on her face. "I'd rather not."  

Hancock knew the sentence, though guarded by a smile, was proof of troubling thoughts, though what they could be were lost on him. "You alright, trouble?" 

The smile remained on her lips, growing more genuine, "Yeah, I'm fine." And it was true. She was fine. In that moment, his legs entangled around hers and her hand cupping his cheek while their lips were less than an inch apart, she's never been better. "I love you."  

She pressed a kiss to his lips as she lost the battle against sleep.  

She was a mess.  

But so was the world.  

 


	9. [Nova and Her Family] [2]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, I can't believe I've been forgetting my-er... Nova's robot son and I will fix that next time I do one with the family fluff style. (I've never enjoyed writing domestic things but Nova makes me want to write it all tbh.)  
> Anyway, this is the story of Lady, enjoy if you read!

A barrage of bullets cascaded off of the surface of the building Nova had only just dodged behind, narrowly evading the bullets' path. Her hands grasped her shotgun tight enough to turn her knuckles white, but fear was the furthest thing from her mind. 

Being on a battlefield really did being out the adrenaline junkie in her. "Best type of drug is the one that comes from jumping off buildings and fist fighting super mutants," she'd stated with a grin after she'd beaten an aforementioned mutant to death with the butt of her pistol when it'd ran out of bullets. 

She was a dangerous force, muscles strengthened farther since she's first left the vault and aim better suited for the environment she'd awoken to. She'd earned the nickname the human deathclaw, not that she'd heard it. 

It was like something snapped when she was faced with bullets and fists compared with the mundane touches, arms over her shoulders, hands on her shoulders, hands brushing her own, and whatnot that frightened her. It almost seemed that her fear turned into unadulterated rage. 

She chanced a few peeks from behind the building, baiting the few remaining raiders to exhaust their ammo. Hancock brought down one of the men and the two remaining raiders turned their attention to him.

She wasted no time in darting around the edge of the building and charging them, wrapping her forearm around the woman's neck and using her as a shield when the man fired. As the female raider's body slumped in her arms, she slammed the barrel of her shotgun into the man's nose and fired. 

Both of the bodies thudded to the ground and Nova glanced back to the shelter Hancock and Nick had taken. "You alright? Need any stimpacks?" In answer to her question, they both walked from behind their cover, looking none the worse for wear. Nova's attention quickly turned to the bodies, checking their pockets and stuffing the caps and ammo she found into her pack.  "So much for sneaking by, huh?"

Hancock caught the pack of ammo she tossed to him, "If I didn't know better, I might think you wanted to get caught."

The self-satisfied smile that played on her lips spoke volumes, "Well, glad you know better." 

"Just a coincidence that you tripped. _Again_." 

She grinned at Nick with the confident grin neither of them could resist. "I just don't know what's wrong with me today."

A shuffling behind a nearby building flipped a switch, all of them falling silent as their hands went to their weapons. "I got it." Her voice was almost silent and the slightly more labored breaths escaping her showed the signs of her excitement dying down. 

She stalked around the building with measured steps, prepared for more raiders searching for the source of gunfire or even some super mutants attracted by the noise. She got neither and the moment she turned the corner, her gun fell to her side. 

"Guys!" 

They were at her side in a moment, guns at the ready, but her own gun was on her back, her arms holding a wiggling form to her chest as it licked at her face. It jumped from her arms, running to a larger body nearby. 

"Is that what I think it is?" Nick questioned while Hancock lifted a jet inhaler to his mouth. 

The small creature let out sad cries as it nudged what was assumedly it's mother. 

"A deathclaw. She's just a baby." Nova walked to the form and picked it up with only slight protest. "I won't leave her alone." 

"You'd trust that thing in one of your settlements?" 

The words clearly didn't shake her resolve at all. "She's _just_ a baby. Besides, animals only attack when threatened." Nova's face settled in a portrait of determination, her small form making the deathclaw look larger than it really was. 

"Save your breath, Nicky, there's no changin' her mind once it's set." 

Nova grinned, knowing she'd won and that she had one heck of a surprise for Deacon, along with a new charge under her protection. She turned her attention to the deathclaw in her arms, slightly too big to be comfortable, and pressed a kiss to its forehead. "You're such a cute little lady." The idea was written on her face the moment it popped into her mind. "In fact, that's what I'm going to call you. Lady."

-

As they traveled to one of the settlements Preston had informed Nova needed help, the deathclaw traveled behind them, frequently crying for Nova or her companions to lift her. Nova had already grown attached to the creature, sneaking her scraps as she snacked trying not to let Nick or John see, but they were quickly beginning to enjoy Lady's company as well. 

There was no denying the little deathclaw clinging to Nova's leg or chirping at any of them was adorable. Dogmeat was going to have a _fit_ when she brought this little monster home. 

Lady was particularly fond of Nova, even bringing her an animal she'd hunted down and dropping it in front of her. Both men were shocked when Nova praised the deathclaw for it, though she nudged the mangled corpse to the side. When she noticed their looks she shrugged. "My cats used to do it, they do it because they like you. Wouldn't see any animal bringing meat to someone shootin' at them." 

As they neared the settlement, Nova began to talk about one of the happiest aspects of her past. "I always loved animals. Any and every animal I came across, I wanted to keep. One time I even gained the trust of a feral cat, didn't get a scratch on me."

She laughed as she relayed stories of the many pets she'd had, cats, dogs, bunnies, even the story of her tarantula that had terrified her the first time she held it. 

When she deemed it close enough to the settlement, she clicked her tongue, sending Lady running to her. She lifted her and held her protectively as she marched into the settlement, head held high and jaw set, a trick she'd learned could easily intimidate even the scariest people when they knew exactly what she'd done—even if she didn't see it as much. 

The looks of horror that crossed the faces of the settlers when they saw Lady sparked the protective nature Nova was so prone to. Lady was officially under her protection and that was never a bad place to be. 

-

"Oh, Preston!" Nova's sing-song voice filtered through the door of the house he was sitting in, surprising him. 

"I wasn't expecting to see you back so soon." He accepted the hug she offered somewhat awkwardly, still not used to the affection she so willingly gave out. She _only_  allowed those close to her to touch her and had shied away from anything more than a handshake for months after meeting him. 

"Well, a mom's gotta make sure her kids are safe, right?" 

It was only then he noticed the small creature wandering around the room, sniffing at chairs and table legs as Dogmeat sniffed at it. 

"Preston, this is Lady and I want her to be protected." 

"Nova," he took a breath, not wanting to strike a nerve with her, knowing her protection, once earned, was practically impossible to lose, "we can't have a deathclaw in Sanctuary." 

"Preston, she's just a baby, if we protect her she'll return the favor when she's big and strong. Isn't that right, sweetheart?" She crouched down, patting the deathclaw as Dogmeat seemed to accept the creature. 

It _was_ cute.

Still, it wasn't until Nova lifted her and held her in front of his face that he caved. The moment she cocked her head, with what he could swear was a smile on her face—a reptilian smile, but one all the same—he knew he couldn't kick it into the wasteland to be slaughtered. 

"Fine, General, but I'm not its parent." 

"'Course not. I am. You're _her_ brother."

He choked on the breath he'd just taken. 


	10. [Nova and Hancock/Nick] [1]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Could probably be family but its mostly just Hancock and Nick.

   Stares were something Nova was used to.  
   Not only was she nearly always accompanied by either a ghoul or synth - many times, both - but she plodded around with a deathclaw too.  
   Stares and muttering didn't bother her anymore, however, having her boys refused food and drink in one of her own settlements burned her up.  
   Nova's feet rested on Nick's lap, boots discarded under the table, as they waited for Hancock to return from purchasing a new shotgun.  
   "This settlement is getting pretty large."  
   Nova hummed in response to Nick's comment. He was right. She knew settlements tended to grow larger in between her visits, but something was bothering her. Her feet fell from Nick's lap as she stuffed them into her boots.  
   Hancock, looking disgruntled and having his face covered with a mask, returned. He clearly hadn't purchased a shotgun. "Sunshine, is it just me or is it lookin' a little smooth around here?"  
   "Yeah," Nova huffed out her agreement as she roughly zipped her boots, "I noticed." She doubted the bartender would recognize her - he was a fresh face - but she still wasn't risking a sugarcoating of what was _clearly_  going on if he did recognize her. "Can I borrow that mask? Anyone messes with ya I'll handle 'em."  
   As Hancock handed her the mask, Nick chided her, "Be careful, Nova, they won't respect you if they don't know who you are."  
   Her shoulders were already tensed, anger rolling off of her in waves. "I will, but they clearly need to be reminded of Minutemen morals."  
   She sauntered to the bar, gaining the attention of its tender quickly as she hopped onto a stool. His eyes darted to her clevage, exposed by the unbuttoned plaid shirt and tank top she was wearing, before he gave her a smug grin.  
   "What can I do for you?"  
   The mask covered only her mouth and nose, her eyes perfectly visible as her steely gaze focused on the man. "I couldn't help but notice there's no ghouls wandering around. There any reason for that?"  
   The bartender laughed, though Nova's expression remained steadfast, "No ghouls here, you don't have to worry your pretty little head," Nova's jaw clenched, teeth gritting painfully, she did _not_  like that, "the Minutemen don't check in often and when they do, they don't question the lack of ghouls. Its all the same to us, rather not have those-"  
   Before he could finished Nova had pulled down the mask and grabbed a hold of the man's shirt, "Who's grand idea was this?" The man stuttered, clearly recognizing her - must have been the scars.  
   "Uh, Norman, his name's Norman Slae. He put himself in charge as soon as he arrived. He's very convincing."  
   Nova shoved him back, fully instending on giving him a tongue lashing, but Hancock's voice caught her attention before she got the chance.  
   Fury burned in her at the sight of people surrounding her companions and attempting to force them out.  
   There was no hesitation when she grabbed and threw a full bottle of wine against the wall, barely missing some of the setters heads. " **Everyone, step back!** " the words were practically a snarl, rage running through her veins stronger than a stimpak, "How _dare_ any of you go against the code of inviting _every_  settler in need into this settlement," her voice was powerful, booming off of the walls as she stood straight, her height doing nothing to lessen her intimidation.  
   She paused, voice even stronger and louder when next she spoke, "Let alone trying to force the general of the Minutemen's closest companions out!"  
   "Alright, alright, everyone settle down."  
   The stillness that flooded the room was constricting, deafening silence following the voice and the murderous glare given to the speaker.  
   "Nova!"  
   Of _course_  it was Norman.  
   She knew the rat would be trouble from the moment she'd met him.  
   He'd looked at her like a piece of meat and he hadn't been shy about sharing his attraction while disregarding her companions. She'd given him a bloody lip when he said Nick needed to be thrown in a scrap pile. She'd do worse this time. This went too far.  
   "Is that deathclaw outside the gate Lady? Hardly even recognize her. Has to be yours though. No one else in this settlement is mentally challenged enough to travel with something that ugly," he glanced in Nick and Hancock's direction, "still a lot cuter than the other _things_  you travel with."  
   She heard the muffled "oh no" leave Nick's lips before she charged, done seething and ready to give this poor excuse of a man what he'd earned.  
   Nova was Intimidating when she was angry, but the settlers - even settlers from before Norman's arrival - had never seen her attack, least of all without her weapons.  
   Norman was surprised. A punch was nothing compared to the animalistic way she attacked now.  
   Fury continued to bubble within her as her body went into autopilot. Her eyes were blurred. Her fists stung as she slammed them into his face with all the brutality she'd learned from the Commonwealth.  
   The taste of her own blood filled her mouth as he managed to get a good shot in.  
   A sound, nothing short of a growl, escaped her as she brought her nails across his face.  
   When Norman kicked her off she was quickly restrained, Nick's voice calming her as he held her back. "That's enough. You've done enough."  
   She relaxed against Nick, spitting out blood as she watched Norman get to his feet. Anger burned his own eyes as he pulled a dagger from a sheath on his belt.  
   "Good _synth_ , hold her while I gut her," Nick let go the moment he spoke, but she didn't attack, lest she go running straight into that blade, "Its about time the Minutemen got a better leader. One that ain't sleeping around with monsters and trash heaps."  
   She snarled, "C'mon then! I'll show you _why_  I'm the general."  
   He charged.  
   Before he could reach her, he was stopped. The dagger fell from his fist.  
   Hancock pulled his blade from the man's torso, the same knife he'd used on Finn all those months ago. It wasn't a killing blow. "You have about twenty seconds before this exile turns into an execution."  
   Norman was already slinking away, holding the hole in his side, "If I _ever_  see your face in one of my settlements again, the only monster is going to be me and the only trash heap is will be the one your corpse is dumped in."

×

   Days had passed since the dramatic confrontation. Nova had made herself at home for an extended stay at the settlement. She was going to ensure that what happened when last she left had no chance of happening again, even if that meant forcefully removing every person who spoke against ghouls or synths.  
   Nova stood on a rickety balcony, taking a break from her repair of the pre-war perch, humming a song as Lady peaked up at her. The creaking of the door caught her attention.  
   "Would you look at that? I almost forgot you knew how to repair anything other than weapons." Hancock's subtle jab wasn't missed, and he earned himself a playful glare.  
   "It has been a little while since I took a break, hasn't it?"  
   "Try long," Nick stuck his head out of the door, "you know, you cant make everything perfect."  
   "I can watch out for my settlements. Keep men like _Norman_  from hurting more people," it wasn't the first time they had had this conversation. They thought she should care more about herself, but, to her, caring for herself only brought to light her past and flaws. The fact that she was a broken and scarred specimen of a human being, who couldn't protect her son and couldnt even feel desire for what others did. Why shouldn't she spend that time caring for others?  
   "You're never going to be able to protect everyone, sunshine. And no matter how much I love seeing you give your all to fight scum like that, you need to relax." Hancock lightly poked the angry bruise on her face, "Any better?"  
   "Yeah. Still got a huge cut inside though." Her answer lead to a loaded pause, hesitation clear in her demeanor.  
   "What if- what if I can't relax?" Nick and Hancock glanced at each other, worry shining in their eyes as they waited for her to continue. "I just... When I try to stop I just remember everything. I remember that I never got to see my little boy grow up, that I'll never see my family again, that I'm-" she stopped.  
   They hated when she said she was broken. In Nick's words, "humans can't be defective, they're not products." And in Hancock's she was "perfect." But still, she didnt understand the lack of desire that came so easily for others.  
   "I'm broken. If not that I'm different. And what the point in me even falling in love if I don't care about sex? I should just-" Hancock's lips pressed against her own, cutting off her self deprecating words.  
   Her arms immediately wrapped around him, pulling herself against his body and tilting her head back so he could straighten. A disgruntled whine escaped her as he pulled away but Nick quickly pulled her to him, pushing his hat onto her head as he did.  
   When he pulled away, Nova was sufficiently breathless, and had a giddy smile on her face.  
   "You are _not_ broken."  
   She didnt know if she believed it completely, but she knew she loved them, and she finally realized - as her father's words echoed in her mind - love had so much more to it than something as physical as sex.  
   And, if she was the only person in this world to fall in love with a ghoul and synth, and if she was the only person in the world to see value in each life, even that of a deathclaw, she was alright with that. Because her family was more than alright with that.


End file.
